Buffy Night at the Hikawa Shrine
by Desslok
Summary: Shoujo-ai. Rei introduces Mina to the joys of


"Buffy Night" by Desslok  
-------  
Author's Note: This story idea arose from a throwaway marginal   
comment in the SuperS manga. Rei is saying that she doesn't   
like or watch much TV, but Naoko in one of those little marginal   
doodles says something like "Except for Buffy!". So, it is   
CANON that Rei watches Buffy, at least in the American   
translation. I personally believe that little in this story   
deviates too far from canon (manga canon), but your mileage may   
vary. In any case, I hope you all enjoy it.  
------  
  
"Want to walk home with me, Mina-chan?" Usagi asked as she rose   
from the table.   
  
The day's study session at Rei's shrine was complete and everyone   
was gathering up their things. Since the senshi had all   
graduated high school, they hadn't had as much need for formal   
study time, but none of them wanted to break the habit of getting   
together. With Makoto training at the Culinary Institute and   
Rei focusing on her songwriting and her work at the temple, only   
Ami, Minako, and Usagi had homework in any case.   
  
Mina darted an inquiring glance over at Rei. The evening's   
agenda had been Rei's idea, so Minako didn't feel comfortable   
changing their plans on her own. No one else but the senshi of   
love might have noticed the slight frown of disappointment on   
Rei's face as she shrugged her shoulders in mute acceptance.  
  
"Umm, actually Usagi-chan, I'm not leaving just yet." Minako   
admitted. Ami and Makoto, who had quite efficiently gathered   
their things, paused in the doorway. Usagi cocked her head,   
waiting with a patient but curious expression for further   
explanation. "Rei and I were going to hang out a little bit..."   
  
Usagi nodded and moved to join Ami and Makoto at the exit.   
Looking at the clock, she suddenly wailed, "Oh no! I'd better   
hurry; I have a date with Mamo-chan tonight!" As the others   
rolled their eyes, Usagi dashed out of the temple, arms flailing   
in her rush to get home.  
  
After another glance to Rei and another silent reply, Minako   
informed Ami and Makoto that they were welcome to stay if they   
wanted. Makoto frowned suddenly and her eyes darted to meet   
Ami's. "That is very kind of you, Mina-chan," Ami replied, "but   
I promised Mako-chan I would help her with her PC tonight."   
Makoto nodded vigorously.  
  
"We understand," Rei said with a kind smile, "you two have fun."   
The look she gave Ami and Makoto brought blushes to each of them.   
After quick hugs for Minako and their hostess, Mako and Ami   
departed as well.  
  
After they had gone, Mina and Rei exchanged meaningful glances.   
"Do you still doubt me?" Rei challenged.  
  
"I guess not," Minako laughed. "Ami must be slipping. She used   
that computer story two months ago."  
  
Rei snickered evilly, "Well, as long as they insist on keeping   
their secret, I get to have fun with them."   
  
"As if you'd stop teasing them if they 'fessed up," Minako   
pointed out. Ignoring the stuck-out tongue that was Rei's reply,   
Mina got to work straightening up the room.   
  
"I still can't believe you've never seen 'Buffy'," Rei exclaimed   
as she dug around in the closet. "I don't watch much television,   
but it's well worth it!"  
  
Minako rolled her eyes. "I told you, it conflicts with Cowboy   
Bebop!"   
  
"I've read the manga," Rei admitted, "and I don't see what the   
big fuss is. Seems pretty generic to me, like a space western or   
something."  
  
"The whole show is the music!" Minako explained. "You don't get   
that with the manga. Anyway, you promised to watch it if I   
watched Buffy with you." Mina glanced over at Rei, bent over as   
she rummaged through a storage box. Silently, she wondered if   
she looked half as good from behind as Rei did.   
  
"I know I promised. We'll do it this weekend." Frankly, Rei   
hadn't struggled too hard to get out of watching the show.   
Though she had no real interest, other than basic curiosity,   
spending some quality one-on-one time with Minako was certainly   
not an onerous chore. "Is Ed as annoying in the show as she is   
in the manga?"  
  
"Ed is cute!" Minako insisted. "She's kind of like Ami and   
Chibi-Usa all mixed up together!" Mina considered her words as   
she saw the look of horror and revulsion on Rei's face. "Ok, bad   
analogy. Did you find the tape, yet? It's probably underneath   
all your hentai tentacle tapes!"  
  
Rei shot up and glared at Minako until the latter began laughing   
fondly. "Oh Rei-chan, you know I'm teasing. Even if you had   
such things, you'd never keep them away from Usagi and never get   
them back!"   
  
"Don't push your luck, baka, or I'll pull out some manga that   
will make your hair stand up," Rei lifted an eyebrow   
provocatively, "among other things." When Mina blushed, Rei   
grinned triumphantly. "Anyway, I've found it," she announced,   
brandishing a videotape. "Make yourself comfortable."  
  
Minako sat in the middle of the sofa across from the tv, leaving   
Rei little choice but to sit right next to her on either side.   
Instead, Rei chose to sit on the floor in front of her between   
Mina's legs. Pointing the remote at the wall unit, Rei said,   
"Since I get the floor, you can make yourself useful for once."   
She handed Minako a comb and shifted herself so that Mina had   
unfettered access to her long, black hair.   
  
After some rewinding, Rei located the beginning of the episode   
she had picked. She had put a lot of thought into her choice,   
since she had a number of things to consider. First, she wanted   
to pick an episode that would showcase 'Buffy' in all of its   
supernatural angsty/comedic glory. She knew that the lengthy   
back story could be confusing to a new viewer, so she wanted a   
show that stood on its own, without requiring lots of prior   
knowledge. However, she also wanted to capture the realistic   
interpersonal relationships of the characters. Fortunately, the   
episode she'd chosen fit all of those criteria as well as the   
most important one of all.   
  
As they watched initially, Minako tried to pick up who was who,   
even as she methodically combed Rei's hair. "Who's that again?"   
she asked as a new character appeared. "Why are they all freaked   
out?"  
  
"That's Oz," Rei explained patiently. "He used to date Willow,   
the redhead, but then he had to leave because he's a werewolf.   
He's been gone for a long time with no word to anyone."  
  
A bit later, "So, the army guys are good guys or bad guys?"  
  
"Most of them are bad guys, but the cute blonde that is dating   
Buffy is a good guy."   
  
And so it went. Mina's combing slowed down and eventually   
stopped entirely as she got caught up in the show. Rei forced   
herself to resist the urge to turn around to see Mina's   
expressions at various points. Somewhat surprisingly, Mina never   
asked what, to Rei, were the obvious questions: "Are those two   
an item?"; "Does she know that Tara is hot for her?"; etc. Rei   
didn't know if this was a good or bad sign.  
  
Rei had known for a long time that she didn't have much interest   
in boys. Sure, she'd dated Mamoru briefly, but more to annoy   
Usagi than out of any serious attraction. He also had a car and   
a nice apartment, so it had been fun. There had been no real   
attraction beyond those things. Rei just didn't worry about   
such things.   
  
When they had met Haruka and Michiru, though, Rei began to   
experience new feelings. It was as if a light had gone on in her   
mind and illuminated some things that she'd always known were   
there, but had never considered. Suddenly, she began to look at   
the girls in her school and all of her friends a little   
differently.   
  
Once she had begun to explore her feelings, she began to find   
confirmation everywhere. She read her manga in a new light, no   
longer reading passively, but actively trying to find hidden   
meanings, hints of relationships that couldn't be discussed   
openly but which made sense. When the new season of 'Buffy' had   
begun to air, with its new characters and subplots, she'd been   
happily shocked to see a story that spoke directly to her with   
little of the innuendo or double-meanings that she usually had to   
interpret.   
  
All of this had helped her come to terms with herself. True,   
these were fictional characters, but watching them interact in   
such a natural and realistic way further supported the lessons   
she'd learned watching Haruka and Michiru. I did not matter who   
you loved, as long as your love was true.   
  
Then came that faithful day when Minako had decided to accompany   
her to her school. Oh yes, she had caused all sorts of trouble   
that day. Somehow, the combination of the two had ensured the   
appearance of strange magics and odd occurrences. While under   
the influence of the various forces at play, however, some truths   
had come to light. At least, Rei hoped that she was remembering   
things correctly. All she could clearly recall was the feel of   
soft lips on warm skin. She shuddered at the memory, disrupting   
Mina's concentration on the show.   
  
"Are you ok, Rei-chan?" Mina asked, surprised to realize that   
neither of them had spoken for some time.   
  
"Shh, this is the best part," Rei warned.   
  
As Willow knocked on Tara's door, holding her 'extra flamey'   
candle, Rei caught her breath. She had watched this scene at   
least fifty times and every time it brought tears to her eyes.   
She resisted the urge to cuddle against Mina's leg, not wanting   
to jinx herself. She mouthed the words along with the characters   
on the screen:   
  
-'You have to be with the person you love."  
-'I am.'  
-'You mean...'  
-'I mean. Ok?'  
-'Oh yes.'  
  
Rei stifled a sob and laid her head against Minako's knee.  
  
-'I feel horrible about everything I put you through. I'm gonna   
make it up, too. Starting right now.'  
-'Right now?'  
  
As the show faded to black and the credits appeared, Rei pushed   
the stop button, her cheek still resting against Mina's bare leg.   
With a deep breath, she composed herself and shifted away from   
the couch so she could turn around. "So, what did you think?"   
she asked in her most business-like manner.  
  
Minako's eyes were moist and she wore a wry smile. For a moment   
or two, she simply stared at Rei. 'She's so cute when she gets   
emotional,' she thought as she watched Rei surreptitiously wipe a   
tear from her cheek.   
  
"It was wonderful, Rei-chan," she said at last. "I can see why   
you enjoy it so much."  
  
Now back under control, Rei stood. "It's very well-written and   
realistic. The way they all interact reminds me of, well, us."   
She laughed and Mina giggled in agreement.   
  
Mina remained in her seat, gazing up at Rei warmly, bringing a   
heated flush to the latter's cheeks. "Rei-chan, did you pick   
that particular episode for any specific reason?"  
  
"Well," Rei stammered, "it's just a really good one, easy for a   
newbie to understand." She lifted her eyes to meet Minako's. Was   
that a flash of disappointment she'd seen on her friend's face?  
  
"I like how they handled the relationship between the two   
witches," Mina offered. Her emotions swirled inside her. So   
many hopes and dreams seemed on the verge of coming true, but   
could she really believe that? Could she take that chance?  
  
"Tara and Willow," Rei clarified. "Yeah, it was very believable.   
In all the episodes leading up to that one, it's totally clear   
that Tara is in love with Willow, but it takes Willow forever to   
figure it out."  
  
Mina scooted over to one side, begging Rei with a glance to join   
her on the couch. "Why couldn't she see it if it was so   
obvious?" she asked, her heart in her throat.   
  
"Sometimes people don't want to see, I guess," Rei whispered, her   
own heart beating rapidly as she sat down next to Mina. She   
could feel the sweat forming on her brow. "Sometimes they're   
afraid to see what might not be there."  
  
"Love can be a frightening thing," Minako replied. She could   
feel her resolve crystallizing inside. "I think, if you love   
someone, you should find a way to let them know, even when it is   
too hard to say it out loud."  
  
Rei slowly looked up into Minako's eyes. She willed every ounce   
of what she'd been feeling for all of those long months into her   
gaze, hoping that Minako would see what she could not bring   
herself to say.  
  
A sense of profound joy arose as Mina found what she'd been   
looking for. Her tense expression softened as she smiled fondly.   
"I mean," she went on, "there are all sorts of ways to tell   
someone you love them." She inched closer to Rei on the sofa.   
"You could send flowers. You could leave anonymous love   
letters." Still sliding over, she stopped when her knees bumped   
into Rei's. She reached out and took her friend's hands in her   
own. "Or, you could show them something very special to you and   
hope that they got the message."   
  
Still afraid to speak, lest she break this spell that held her in   
its grasp, Rei simply nodded. With a squeeze of her hand, she   
found the courage she needed in Mina's welcoming eyes. "You have   
to be with the person you love," she quoted.   
  
"I am," Mina replied as she leaned forward. [FADE TO BLACK] 


End file.
